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Best Practices: 6 Tips for Mobile Friendly Surveys

July 27, 2015

To design mobile-friendly surveys, remember that the mobile survey experience is very different from that of the desktop survey. It’s crucial that the questionnaire follows the same logic, and that the data from the responses is received the same way, but the look, feel and flow should be tailored for the mobile respondent experience. Mobile respondents now make up a large portion of most quantitative online surveys, so to ensure that you’re maximizing the response rate of this growing group, follow these six simple rules to design your online surveys with the mobile respondent in mind.

Intuitive User Interfaces. The experience should be intuitive and user-friendly; respondents react better to clean and simple UI. Our online surveys already render for mobile, taking care of most UI issues automatically, but it certainly is recommended that you check to see if custom work is needed.

Minimize Respondent Effort. Inaccurate data can occur if respondents are left confused about where to click, how to scroll, etc. Sometimes a reduced scope is needed for mobile versus an automated mobile rendering.

Find Ways to Streamline. Make mobile surveys shorter and smoother without sacrificing data synchronicity between channels. Shorten questions and answers where needed. Ensure consistency with layout and key interaction elements to keep the respondent moving as quickly as possible.

Clarity is key. Give clear instructions on where respondents should go, and what they should do. If an action is needed to display answers (or more answers), or to proceed to the next stage, make sure there are clear instructions included (but remember points 1-3 on simplicity!).

Keep an eye on the clock. Prominent progress bars help make the respondent feel accomplished and show that you value their time. Think twice before you remove this element from mobile – they almost always lead to improved completion rates.

Test, test and test. Never skip the testing stage. Never. Pre-testing on different mobile devices (at a minimum: iPhone, Android and iPad) will give you insight into the mobile experience. Errors you catch at this stage are invaluable.

Questionnaires developed using Voxco Online Survey Software seamlessly render for mobile devices, but consider that automated device-responsiveness is just the tip of the iceberg. Extra care and effort should be put into ensuring that the mobile experience is just as intuitive as the desktop one. You’ll see immediate payoff of the extra time and effort in the improved response rates from the growing audience on mobile devices. Our team can help customize your online surveys so they shine on mobile. Get in touch today!